Aeroplane flying-machine.



1. F. 1|11Y.- AEROPLANI FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. 1909.

Patented May 23,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

T. F. LILLY.

AEROPLANE FLYING MACHINE.

APPLlcATmN FILED 111111.24. 1909.

Patented May 23, 1916.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THOMAS Farmers LILLY, or MEMPHIs, TENNESSEE.

AEROPLANE FLYING-MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, TI-roMAs F. LILLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State v of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

f My invention relates to aeroplane flying machinesand its object is to'provide adevice ofthis class in which angularly ad- In thesey drawings,Figure 1` is .av sidey view in elevation of the machine; F ig.-2 asimilar view in detail and enlarged, ofone set of planes and theircarrying member; Fig. 3 is a front view in elevation; Fig. 4 is a topplan View and Fig. 5, a detail of one set of planes and their carryingmember with one side of said member removed.

Referring to the drawings illustrating my invention, 1 is a main shaftmounted in bea-rings 2 on theY frame proper 3 ofthe machine. FiXedlysecuredto the main shaft 1 are members 4 comprising crossed arms 5 inwhich are mounted at their outer ends bearings 6. Shafts 7, to which arexedly secured plane-carrying members 8, are journaled in the bearings 6on each of the members 4.

To the main shaft 1 is secured a sprocket wheel 9 which in conjunctionwith a chain 10 passing thereover and over a sprocket wheel 11 carriedby shaft 12 at the base of the machine is adapted to revolve the members4 through the mediumv of an engine' 13. The shaft 12 is driven by achain 14 engaging sprocket 15.

Sprockets 16 are xed on the shafts 7 which carry the plane-carryingmembers.

A movable sprocket 17 fits loosely around the main shaft 1. Chains 18pass over the sprockets 16 and 17 and normally hold'the plane-carryingmembers in the position shown in Fig. 1. A lever 19 is operativelyconnected to a cam 19a on the sprocket so that if the sprocket 17 ismoved to one position the plane-carrying members will be tilted. It willthus be seen that by providing means for tilting the plane-carryingSpecification of Letters Patent.

i Patented May23, 1916.

Application filed March- 24, 190'9. Seri/a1 No. 485,439.

members that such members may be raised or lowered to change the angleof the planes. It will also be seen that bymeans of the loose mountingofthe sprocket l17 on the main shaft 1 that such operation of changing theangle of theplanes may be eifected while the revolvingmemberis Ainmotion.

The plane-carrying members 8 comprise two side-frames 20 which areconnected by rods 21. Planes 22 swing onthe 'rods 2 and are journaledthereon at 23.`

TED srarns PATENT onirica.

By means of the-sprockets 16 and 17 and l i chains 18 the plane-carryingmembers are held in such a position that they will only move yin kthepath of the armed members and while in such path, will be caused to beardown and exert full force of their area. Y

Upon the revolving of the-members 4 with the plane-carrying membersthereon, the planes 22 are closed to prevent the escapeof air throughthe member, when lthe air strikesthe bottom of the planes.l The rod 21near kthe free end-ofthe plane serves asay stop to prevent the planesmovingtoo far upward. `But when kthe air strikes the topy ofv theplanes, vthey will flap open to allowI the air to pass through. Toprevent the planes opening too wide, cords 24 are provided,'so that theplanes on their upward motion will strike the air at an angle, wherebythe machine is forced forward; while the other planes that are closedwill lift or elen vate the machine.

To facilitate the operation of the lever from the basket or load 25, themovable sprocket 17 is provided with a radial arm rigidly fixed thereto.The lever `27 is pivotally connected to the arm and, adjacent to thebasket, is provided with a series of teeth adapted to meshwith the teethof a segment a.. Pressing against the lever at the. point where theteeth meshwith the segment, is a spring Z which serves to hold the samein mesh. To adjust the planes, the.

lever is pulled against the spring until the lever 'and segment teethare out of mesh, whereupon the lever can be moved vertically. When thedesired adjustment is 'obtained, the lever isreleased and theA springwill hold the teeth in mesh and against displacement.

In operation, the engine by means of chain `14-and sprocket l5 -drivesshaft 12, which shaft through the medium of chain 10 and sprockets 9 and11, drives the main i shaft '1, thereby revolving the. armed members lcarrying the plane-carrying members.

The machine is raised or elevated by the closed planes coming in contactwith the air. While some of the planes are closed the other planes areopened by the force of the air so asto strike the. -air at an anglewhich forces the machine forward. As before eX- plained the tilt orangle of the planes can be changed during the operation of themachinekfrom the basket or load.

yBy means of the opening of the planes, the air which would strikethesurface left bythe planes when they open is not resisted as `is the caseif the propellers were parachutes, but such air is allowed to escape.

It is clear that various ychanges may be l made in the device hereindescribed without y Copies of `this patent may be obtained for yframes.having a double series of ypivoted .planes mounted .thereon disposedone series above the other and' on each side of the center of the frame,the planes of each series being adapted to fold to closed position andimpinge upon the air during the downward movement ofthefframe carrying.them and bey swung openby thefpassage of the air through said frameduring the remainder of the revolution, one or more of said frames atall times during the revolution having planes impinging upon the air andone or more frames having planes swun'g'open, substantially as setforth.

2. In a ying machine, a revoluble member, shafts journaled thereon,plane-carrying members mounted on the shafts, said members having sideframe and rods connecting the same, planes pivoted on rods of saidframe, said.y planes having a. member connected thereto and to one ofthe side frames to limit its swinging movement in one direction, saidplanes adaptedk to abut against the adjacent rod to limit its swingingmovement in the other direction, a sprocket wheel on each of the saidshafts, chains passing thereon, and a lever device for operating thechains and sprocket wheels to change the angle of the plane carryingmembers, said planes impinging upon the airv during. part of therevolution of the member to prevent the passage of air through themember and swung open during the remainder' of the revolution of themember to permit the passage of air through the member, said revolublemember at all times during its revolution having planes impinging uponthe airandplanes swung open.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS FRANCIS LILLY.

Witnesses:

M. L. SNYDER, R. I-I. JONES.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents. Washington,D. C.

